Under the Lights: The Legitimacy, Survival, and Institutionalization of Rural Amateur Baseball

Abstract

A unique phenomenon, known locally as “town ball,” occurs every summer in Minnesota. Most individuals who support town ball teams are from rural communities. Despite small populations, teams often receive stalwart support (e.g., decorated facilities, uniforms, lights, boisterous crowds) from their communities. In this investigation, we examined the institutional norms of the environment, the legitimacy of the teams, and the institutional work conducted by the communities and teams. With the use of observations and semi-structured interviews, it was determined that teams and communities were deemed legitimate by stakeholders and maintained the institutions of town ball with the use of deliberate mechanisms and various belief systems.

Keywords:

• institutional theory
• institutional work
• legitimacy
• rural community leisure